Many have praised the late Mr Barrington Watson’s skill and masterly artistry as a painter, and there is considerable publicly available biographical information and documentation of his numerous achievements.

We join in lauding him for his contribution to Jamaican visual arts, and culture in general, but Mr Watson was much more than a gifted artist. All of this could easily cause one to miss what is really important about his life and work.

First, he was a pioneer, establishing the feasibility and respectability of the profession of painting. In the early days when Mr Albert Huie declared his intention to be a painter, many in genuine ignorance offered him jobs to paint houses.

It is for this reason that Mr Watson’s father discouraged his enrolment in London’s Royal College of Art, the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, and the Rijksacademie in Amsterdam. Mr Watson fine-tuned his talent with technical studies. By his example, he showed that a painter did not have to be poor, but could pursue this profession and drive a good car and play tennis at the Liguanea Club in St Andrew.

Second, he was a cultural change agent by creating Jamaican paintings of such distinctive quality that Jamaicans bought original oil paintings to replace prints and reproductions of European artists. He also was one of the first to take his paintings to the international stage with exhibitions in London and the United States.

Third, he was a dedicated nationalist, devoting much of his work to recording the life of the Jamaican working people. He also created his vision of important events and people in the history of Jamaica. His patriotism led him to impart his knowledge as the first principal of the Jamaica School of Art. He has bequeathed property to help future Jamaican painters — not all of whom will achieve the commercial success he attained.

Fourth, he was a historian who has documented in portraits national heroes Marcus Garvey, Norman Manley and Sir Alexander Bustamante, and other people who played an important role in nation-building. He also captured the sports which have meant so much to Jamaica, such as the runner breasting the tape and the West Indies cricket team in the field.

Fifth, he believed that black was beautiful and gloriously painted his appreciation of the Jamaican woman in all her statuesque beauty. His portrayal of the female figure highlighted the distinctive features of black women. This was not salacious, but the continuation of an African tradition of emphasising certain attributes to send certain messages.

This tribute is of enduring importance in a country where so many denigrate their beauty by bleaching. This is an enduring contribution to the Jamaican national identity.

Sixth, he was an internationalist in the struggle for the liberation of people of African descent and was an ardent advocate of pan-Africanism. He voiced these strongly held beliefs in his paintings and his book The Pan-Africanists (2000).

His artistic work will endure because of its quality and, more importantly, his message. He has left a rich legacy and an important example of creating art, not for its own sake, but for higher purposes by harnessing his prodigious talent and exceptional skills in the service of nation and race.